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nI felt the tears that I barely held back welling again, but I swept the desk, fighting back my tears. On the desk, which was cleaned for the new head of the family, there were only several things and a silver-colored envelope that my father left behind.

nA hairpin that seemed to be a woman’s, the seal brooch my father always wore, and a couple of silver shoulder straps I presented to him on a winter day when I was sixteen.

nWhile looking at them with trembling eyes for a while, I slowly reached out and picked up the silver envelope. Then, I opened it carefully to avoid damaging the content.

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nI don’t know when I called your name for the last time. I know it’s not proper to call you like that when you are now the empress, but I don’t want to call your name formally until the last minute. Please understand me.

nI didn’t tell you in detail because you might be worried about me, but I think my days are numbered. I feel different day after day, and these days your mother keeps occurring in my dreams. I often think the day will soon come when I get reunited with her.

nSo, I’m writing this, leaving some stuff to the butler. By the time you receive this letter, I probably won’t be in this world. Since you are smart, you probably know what I want to say to you after noticing the stuff I left to you. Nevertheless, I’m writing this to you, just in case.

nThe hairpin is your late mother’s keepsake, and I’ve left the seal brooch and shoulder straps just in case you come back to the family, just in case. Of course, given that the emperor promised me something and he loves you always, I don’t think that kind of thing will happen to you.

nBut who knows? So, keep them well. If something happens, they will be a big help to you.

nLet me tell you this only now. In fact, I was very worried about you for a while even after marrying you off. However, I was so relieved from the moment when I saw the emperor and you enjoying a happy life that I forgot all my worries. Now that you have the crown prince and two princesses, I don’t have to worry about you anymore.

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nMy lovely daughter, Tia.

nYou have always been a proud child to me, and the only precious treasure for me in this lonely world. I am very grateful that you have grown up well even though I had never expressed affection for you properly as a blunt father. I think I can speak proudly on the day when I reunite with your mother that you have grown up so well and that you will do well in the future.

nSo, my daughter, don’t grieve over your father’s death. I was very happy to have you, and I’m also happy because I can reunite with your mother soon. So, don’t be sad, and let me leave gladly. When the day comes when we all meet again, let’s meet with a bright smile.

nSo, you have to live happily ever after until that day comes.

nI love you, Tia, my lovely daughter.

nKairan la Monique

nP.S. Do you remember the secret place you taught me before? Remember the pride of the spear when you get stuck in a bog where you can’t escape. It will open the way for you.>

nI could not read clearly the last sentence because my eyes were blurred with tears, but I wiped tears, clenching my teeth. I couldn’t cry because I knew my father’s request that I should not be sad.

n‘Yes, I won’t cry, Daddy.’

nThe moment I was about to fold the letter, murmuring to myself, I noticed the words in the last sentence, which I didn’t read properly a moment ago: a secret place, the pride of the spear.

nWhen I looked at the words, I suddenly remembered the memories of the past that I had forgotten, so I stood up and pointed to a spot behind the tapestry.

nAt that moment, I heard the sound of something interlocking, and dozens of character patterns, along with several concave grooves, appeared in my mind.

nEmbarrassed by the secret location of the Monique family, he asked in a surprised voice, “Tia? What is this?”

n“I have something to check. Would you like to go with me, Rube?”

n“… Would that be okay? ”

n“Yes. As I told you a long time ago, the Monique family shares a fate with the imperial family.”

n“If so, let’s go together.”

nAfter he nodded lightly and turned his head, I deciphered the puzzles that I heard from my father on the day I became the successor of the Monique family.

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nClang.

nThe door was opened.

n“What is all this?” Rube, who remained silent since entering the secret place, asked.

nI looked back at him while combing through precious stuff and ledgers piled up. At the spot he pointed to was a simple and elegant treasure box engraved with four spears, namely the earliest crest of my family.

n“Ah, that’s what I have been looking for, Rube. Thanks.”

nI took the box from him and examined its joints closely. Just like I saw it first when I was shown here by my father for the first time, the box had a series of gears with several letters on the joints instead of a padlock.

nWhen I looked at the box which could be opened with the correct deciphering only, I felt it was pretty important. This was the only box that I didn’t know here, and when I asked my father what it contained, he didn’t answer, telling me that I would be able to know when the right time came.

nWhile looking at the box that wasn’t too big, I carefully turned the gears to get the words correct.

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nThe moment I got the last word right, the lid was opened with a clicking sound. I tilted my head, looking at the object sitting on the navy blue velvet.

n“What is this?”

nInside the box was a small rod made of ruby. As big as my hand, there were lots of small letters engraved on it. With a blue tassel tied on one end, it was beautiful.

nWhen I slowly reached out and lifted the rod, a piece of parchment, which seemed to be very old, fell to the floor. But instead of picking it up, I looked to my side because he suddenly moaned while standing beside me silently.

n“Rube, what’s the matter with you?”

nWhen I asked him with a puzzled look, he said with mixed feelings, looking at what I had in my hand, “… Was it what you were looking for? ”

n“Well, yes.”

n“Why? What do you need for this …”

n“Ugh? Do you know what it is?”

nWhen I asked him what made him make such an embarrassed expression, he looked at me carefully and said in a more relaxed mood, “Oh, it seems that you don’t know yet. That’s why you asked me what it was a little while ago.”

n“No. What is this?

n“Well, I can explain it, but I think it’s better for you to read it yourself. Now, read it. ”

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nHe bent over and picked up a piece of parchment and handed it over to me.

nAfter expressing thanks to him in surprise I opened the parchment.

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nMy hand holding the parchment trembled. My eyes, which were opened as much as possible, were fixed on the only one expression in the parchment.

nThe right to one-time immunity from any crime.

n“Ha…” I moaned in spite of myself.

nImmunity? Our family can exercise this immunity right even in the case of treason? Is it true that our family has kept this right for the past eight hundred years?

nOnly then did I realize the true meaning of my father’s will, and why the emperor who discovered this felt so uncomfortable.

nMy father said this would open the way to me when I got stuck in a bog that I could hardly escape. If so, did my father give me this immunity right, in addition to the seal brooch that my ancestors kept secretly for a long time? Did he do it just in case that I should come back to the family as its successor?

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